tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-369564432024-02-20T19:11:17.346-08:00The WondershopBuilding Creative Kids (Who Think, Wonder, and Love to Learn!)Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-84064425742719956012010-04-30T04:45:00.000-07:002010-04-30T04:45:00.042-07:00Dear Sweet Child of Mine, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know. “ ~Ernest HemingwayWhen I was pregnant with my first child, I did what many newly expectant mothers do: I kept a journal. I waxed of every kick and squirm, every decision we made in planning his birth, even about all those tomatoes I was craving. I managed to keep up with the journal for a few weeks Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-8413391892652918262010-04-26T16:02:00.000-07:002010-04-27T14:32:49.379-07:00laundry listsAccording to Urban Dictionary, "Laundry list" refers to a "list of characteristics or items that are generally considered to be mundane or distasteful. Items on the list tend to pile up, just like dirty laundry."We all have them, the things we don't really want to do. The dishes, the yard work, the taxes, the laundry. To face a past, confront creative blocks, or what we will (need to) do Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-12426018958129112692010-04-21T18:19:00.000-07:002010-04-21T18:30:38.621-07:00oh, fresh laundry... it's just so full of beauty!Have I ever mentioned how very rarely I promote books and products? Have I mentioned how when I do, and even if I link to a book on a for-purchase site, I don't ever receive a kick back nor am part of any affiliate program. I just don't believe in it. I just want to share and don't believe that I one can honestly do so if I am being paid if someone buys it. Just sayin', that's all. Anyhow, Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-78898894490896336192010-04-20T14:34:00.000-07:002010-04-20T14:48:19.943-07:00savoring the breaksMealtime when you have a baby in the house is often thought of as work for mama. I consider it a break, a reason to just sit, admire my baby’s chubby little toes and cheeks, knowing that she is nourished fully and completely in the best way she can be. But I also consider it time to savor simplicity, to not multitask, to remind myself that every moment with my children, with myself, with my Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-70234675567280590642010-04-14T13:45:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:53:07.068-07:00funky nests in funky placesWe just love finding bird nests! We find them while hiking, driving, in parking structures, there's even one at the entrance to our favorite grocery store. Once a bird built a nest (and laid her eggs) on top of a spring wreath we had hanging on the door. But the best nest ever was the one built inside Grammy's house, on the fireplace, when the roof was being replaced. So we're especially Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-50299056189089939252010-03-19T07:00:00.000-07:002010-03-19T07:00:04.137-07:00long lost photos and forever flowersThere’s something immensely special about old photos. I ran across this one yesterday and just had to share it. While I don’t ever remembering seeing this photo before, or having it taken, I know it was taken at Grassroots Garden (I’d know those dalhias anywhere), where our family volunteered for five years together. I’m so grateful for all the flowers we have planted, nurtured, smelled, Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-62415163261475418622010-03-18T08:51:00.000-07:002010-03-18T08:51:00.309-07:00a nibble of Book Number 2.I am sooo excited about the nearly completed manuscript for my next book, Thinking Outside the Recipe: Cooking Activities to Nurture and Nourish the Creative Child. It is filled with so many fun activities, recipes, and ideas, some of which Zeal and I have shared here. But now I want to share the just completed introduction letter with you, because I couldn’t feel stronger about the shared mealGinger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-3482063122142368112010-03-17T08:48:00.000-07:002010-03-17T08:48:00.234-07:00Sharing a few Wonder Workshop photosI always feel so lucky to be able to speak and learn alongside parents and teachers. Nothing short of great enthusiasm and love for children is always clearly evident in a roomful of people who’ve come to learn about and explore creativity.I recently received a cd in the mail, sent to me from a person in the back of the room who took these photos during one of my workshops. What a gift! Thank Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-75365581315147933932010-03-16T08:41:00.000-07:002010-03-16T08:41:00.692-07:00Adventures in KazakhstanI am so pleased to be able to announce that I will soon be spending a bit of time working with students and parents and teachers and lovers of learning and creativity in the country of Kazakhstan! What a special treat for me and my whole family! With the promise of learning to play the dombra, Zeal is especially excited! We are busy learning about the country, its rich heritage, and all about Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-78991330124491504782010-03-15T07:37:00.000-07:002010-03-15T07:37:00.249-07:00the wonder of water playOh, it appears spring has actually arrived. The crocuses are peeking their heads out of the ground, the sun is smiling down on us, and the snow is *almost* all gone. Even the birds are singing!But even though that outdoor water play seems ever closer, it isn't quite here yet. Still, there are many opportunities for water play that don't involve being outside in the cold. The Wonder of Water Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-11482605684616750322010-03-14T10:17:00.000-07:002010-03-14T11:32:32.665-07:00inspired in the momentAs you may well know, I am a serious student of yoga. A friend sent me this photo, and I'm finding great truth and inspiration in it this morning, this moment. So I'd like to share it with you. I'm inspired by:The strength. The strength to hold and be held. As parents we often take on just one of the roles, that of the holder. But it takes a lot of strength to be held as well, to find the Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-36262420343896722582010-03-12T07:16:00.000-08:002010-03-12T07:19:28.766-08:00listen and learn:: children as the experts of childhoodThere is a saying that goes: When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. So it goes with parenting, perhaps the greatest exercise in humility, patience, and love. Even the most competent and confident of people, in all walks of life, in all fields of work, find themselves challenged as never before once they add children to their lives. It is clear that most people who choose to have Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-52889188611567984412010-03-03T16:32:00.000-08:002010-03-03T16:43:19.987-08:00card playOh the joy of a simple deck of cards! Since we've been on the road, they have been one of Zeal's most faithful and trusted tools. He's built card houses, worked on his memory with games on concentration, given old favorites like "War" new life calling it "Roar" and saying one card eats the other (dinosaurs roar before they eat, you know), and practiced his share of magic tricks! Here we are Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-81006912664544327202010-03-02T13:11:00.001-08:002010-03-02T13:11:17.911-08:00Road artWe're on the road (again), and found ourselves at the Reno Art Museum last week for an impromptu viewing of la Velata, Raphael's "Woman in the Veil". It was like our cherry on top as we have been all enraptured with talk of the Renaissance and a trip to Florence so we can do a bit of waltzing in Leonardo da Vinci's footsteps. Outside the museum, we played a bit while waiting our turn. Zeal made Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-89120821743257574302010-02-21T14:53:00.000-08:002010-02-21T14:53:00.183-08:00a plea to teachers:: say yes, allow choice, create thinkers!Schools and the school setting as we know them today began during the Industrial Revolution. They were modeled after a Prussian system of educating the masses. Although not to the public, their stated mission was to create only one thing: factory workers. For the first time in American history, learning was changed. It was taken from the home environment and placed inside four walls. At thatGinger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-21667747308992507392010-02-18T18:04:00.000-08:002010-02-18T18:04:00.795-08:00Simply Loving Living: and the stories that guide the love…Having children is like a magnifying glass. It is the catalyst for us to slow down, to enjoy the simple things in life. Suddenly, we find ourselves seeing the fluttering butterfly as we never did before. Growing our own gardens becomes a top priority, even if the weeds seem overwhelming. We suddenly become acutely aware of the air we breathe. But we still need stories and guides to reinforce Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-77533063562318801952010-02-17T13:03:00.001-08:002010-02-17T13:03:28.603-08:00show your support and win a book!Dear Readers, As you may have heard, after some urging, I have created a Facebook Page for The Wonder Collection. Please go to the page and "Become a fan" and show your support. And, to celebrate, this week I am giving away an autographed copy of Child of Wonder. I hope you'll get in on the drawing!Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-43451390663861068182010-02-14T01:26:00.000-08:002010-02-14T01:26:00.064-08:00a valentine wish from our family to yoursGinger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-63911534575072072352010-02-09T06:07:00.000-08:002010-02-09T06:07:00.376-08:00The Family as a Think Tank: A Place for Creative ThinkingIn the mind or in the heart, on the front porch, in the margins of scratch paper, or even in shadows on the wall just after ‘lights out’. Where does creative thinking happen? All those places and more.In Byrd Baylor’s book The Table Where Rich People Sit, a family thinks together at the kitchen table. Mountain Girl, as she is called, has requested a meeting, and the subject is money. She Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-22662300259469648062010-02-04T13:20:00.000-08:002010-02-04T13:20:00.515-08:00shadow play, part 2Make a Shadow Puppet Theatre1. Drape a sheet over a table or use wax paper to cover a hole in a large box.2. Trace and cut out desired figures using cardboard or heavy stock. 3. Tape a drinking straw or tongue depressor to the back of your puppets. Use a hole punch and brads if you want your puppets to have moveable parts. Add an extra straw to each moveable part. 4. Use a desk lamp or Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-26737527295265308652010-02-02T01:12:00.000-08:002010-02-02T01:12:00.250-08:00shadow playI have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,And what can be the use of him is more than I can see....from My Shadow by Robert Louis StevensonWe just love a good shadow...The Wonder of Shadow PlayLegend has it that if on February 2nd, the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, the groundhog appears from his burrow and sees his shadow, we are in for another six weeks of Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-58769452583837878572010-02-01T13:56:00.000-08:002010-02-01T13:56:00.788-08:00Discovering Our Souls in a Messy KitchenI uncovered this piece in the dusty files as I was cleaning off my hard drive, and realized I'd never posted it here. So, in one sense, this is a walk down memory lane for me, but in another it could have very easily been written yesterday. I've also posted this to my Thinking Outside the Recipe blog, for obvious reasons, but I wanted to make sure it went here too because I often get questions Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-8633063067499005202010-01-29T07:16:00.000-08:002010-01-29T07:16:00.530-08:00Books that Help Kids Think (Outside the Box)When we talk about rearing children who live a creative life, one filled with thinking skills, problem solving, and self-expression that almost always includes lives filled with models of creativity. Those models come in all shapes, sizes and forms, not the least of which is the model of a great book. When choosing and reading good books, help your child “think outside the box” by considering Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-17483861103282309162010-01-26T14:14:00.000-08:002010-01-30T11:09:37.747-08:00finding inspiration:: poem by a native american healerI have shared this poem many a time in a workshop, but it seems that it is high time I share it once again,this time in this space. ***Editing to say this poem was NOT written by Anonymous as I have always thought. This inspiring piece was penned by Oriah Mountain Dreamer , and appears in Dreams of Desire. Thank you to the readers who emailed and commented to let me know. I am so excited to Ginger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36956443.post-6262350335703076312010-01-20T01:56:00.000-08:002010-01-20T01:56:00.652-08:00Child of Wonder anew... can you help?Hello Dear Readers! This year, I am working on a new, revised edition of my book Child of Wonder. One of the additions to the book will be a chapter on Encouraging and Working with Special Needs Children. As you know, I like to include stories from real, creative families in each chapter. If you have a special needs child, please send me any anecdotes, tips, or questions you might have aboutGinger Carlson, authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077913955520939528noreply@blogger.com2